A team including Olympic decathlete Brent Newdick won the title by smashing the national record, while another featuring ex-All Black Marc Ellis disappointed after smashing only eggs.
The crowd-pleasing contest, a highlight of the New Zealand Rural Games' second day, also included representative cricketers and Diamond Blacks baseballers.
In the end, it came down to a showdown over 60m between three teams.
• Slideshow: 2016 New Zealand Rural Games
Newdick and Luke Wainui, both of Auckland, triumphed with a national record of 63.7m - well clear of the 61.7m set by former All Blacks Jeff Wilson and Justin Marshall last year.
Wainui's catching was a revelation in the face of some effortless but wayward throwing by Newdick.
Just beaten into second place was another Auckland pairing of Nick Hornstein and Robbie Hollander, who also surpassed the old record with 63.1m.
Queenstown Cricket Club duo Fraser Wilson and Bradley Patton came third with their 60m effort, but were disappointed after twice breaking the previous national record during practice.
It was a superb day for Newdick, who also successfully defended his NZ Gumboot Throwing Championship title, but there was no joy for Marc Ellis.
Ellis told the Otago Daily Times he was ‘‘pretty gutted, to be honest'' after teaming up with Queenstown car dealer Glen Rutherford for a second year.
He had taken on the receiving role after learning last year Rutherford ‘‘couldn't catch''.
‘‘When you find out he can't throw either, you wonder why you even enter.
‘‘The end result is that he's had his fun and next year his services won't be required.''
He also suspected ‘‘skulduggery'' in the egg department after three failed to break after being dropped from 60m-plus throws.
‘‘They were either wooden eggs made in a lathe, with a bit of paint on them, or hard-boiled.''
